The new cultivar is a product of a planned breeding program. The new variety originated from a cross pollination of the unpatented seed parent, Kalanchoe ‘PR15’ with the pollen parent an unpatented, proprietary Kalanchoe hybrid referred to as Kalanchoe ‘PS02’. The cross pollination was made in February 2012 in Vista, Calif., at a commercial greenhouse. The new cultivar Bordeaux’ was discovered by the inventor, Renee O'Connell in September, 2012 in Vista, Calif., at a commercial greenhouse.
Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar ‘Bordeaux’ was first performed in Vista, Calif., at a commercial greenhouse, by terminal vegetative cuttings in October 2012. Kalanchoe ‘Bordeaux’ has since produced multiple generations and has shown that the unique features of this cultivar are stable and reproduced true to type.